Hosting a Corporate Dinner in Melbourne’s North

Corporate dinners play an important role in bringing teams together – whether you’re recognising achievements, celebrating milestones, sharing team updates or strengthening company culture. Sharing a meal creates an environment for networking, relationship-building and genuine conversation, helping colleagues connect beyond day-to-day work.

Melbourne’s north has quickly become a growing destination for business events, offering the perfect balance of accessibility, value and space. Away from the business of the CBD, the region provides corporate guests with easy travel options and contemporary venues ideal for hosting memorable corporate dinners.

Benefits of Hosting Corporate Events in Melbourne’s North

Choosing to host your event outside the CBD can make the experience smoother for both organisers and attendees. Melbourne’s northern suburbs offer practical advantages that elevate corporate dinners.

Easier access – Avoid the stress of CBD parking and enjoy cheap parking. With 400 onsite car parks at a competitive daily rate of just $5, your guests enjoy exceptional value—especially compared to CBD rates that often reach $60+ per day.

Less congestion – Choosing a corporate event venue in the north, guests avoid city traffic. The venue is well connected, located near Bell Station on the Mernda line and the 86 tram, making it easily accessible from both the CBD and northern suburbs.

Choosing the Right Venue for a Corporate Dinner

Finding the right venue sets the tone for the entire event. When planning a corporate dinner, consider the following key elements:

Room capacity – Do you need a small space that creates a private, intimate atmosphere? Or perhaps you’re looking for a large event space for a large work group? Located in Preston, you’ll find 13 private venue spaces, with intimate rooms suited for up to 50 guests and larger spaces accommodating up to 250 guests for a seated dinner.
Layout flexibility – Whether you prefer round tables for a classic banquet or trestle tables for a long-table dining experience, layout options make it easy to match the style of your evening.
On-site commercial kitchen – Enjoy the confidence of meals prepared fresh on-site without the complexities of external catering.
Privacy – Each event space has its own foyer. Choose the ballroom (known as ‘The Market’) for a private foyer for guest arrivals and a private bar, offering elevated service and direct access to secure underground parking.
Professional AV support – Benefit from trusted onsite audio-visual technicians who assist with setup, connectivity, and test runs to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Technical capabilities – Lighting enhancements can help theme your dinner or awards night, while built-in AV ensures your presentations or speeches are delivered seamlessly.

Catering That Matches the Occasion

Food and beverage options significantly influence the overall guest experience. Menu styles and service formats to consider for corporate dinners include:

Plated dinners – Choose elegant two- or three-course menus for a formal dining experience.
Buffet dinners – A generous, social dining style that suits a range of budgets.
Beverage packages – Available with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Canapés or grazing tables – Perfect for cocktail-style dinners, product launches or networking events.

When choosing a venue, be sure to check for on-site catering. Corporate event catering requires a specialty in large-scale service from cooking through to serving. You need to ensure you have a solution that can deliver your dinner catering requirements to an agenda and maintain the quality and freshness of the meal. This is possible when your venue has commercial kitchens right on site!

The Role of Expert Event Coordination

Professional coordination is the difference between a good event and a seamless one. With experienced support behind the scenes, you can focus on hosting while your dedicated event coordinator manages:

Venue set-up
Catering timelines
AV testing and setup
Venue deliveries
On-the-night logistics and support
Troubleshooting and arranging last-minute requirements

A single point of contact ensures clarity from the initial planning stage to the final farewell, giving you and your guests confidence that every detail has been handled.

Hosting Corporate at Novotel Melbourne Preston

Novotel Melbourne Preston offers one of the most flexible and convenient corporate event venues in Melbourne’s north, featuring:

A prime location accessible by major roads, train and tram
Multiple event and dining spaces for everything from intimate dinners to large awards nights
On-site commercial kitchen and trusted AV support
Contemporary accommodation for interstate travellers or multi-day events
An experienced conference and events team dedicated to helping your event succeed

Hosting your corporate dinner in Melbourne’s north offers exceptional value, convenience and flexibility. With the right venue, you can simplify planning, elevate the guest experience and create a memorable evening for your team or organisation.

Speak with our events team about your corporate dinner or awards night by calling us on 03 9485 1000 or email us at HB3K5-SB@accor.com